Fourfold increase in women reported missing since 2013

Since 2013 there has been an almost fourfold increase in the number of women being reported missing, according to figures tabled in parliament by Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia.

Farrugia was replying to a parliamentary question put to him by Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina, who asked the minister for the number of people reported missing, as well as a breakdown of the figures according to age and sex.

According to the data, a total of 549 persons were reported missing in 2013, broken down into 399 men and 150 women. The number increased to 798 by 2018, but while the number of missing men decreased to 280, the number of women being reported missing increased to 518.

In fact, women have been reported missing more frequently than men every year since 2016. The number of minors reported missing doubled between 2015 and 2016. 

Of the total number of missing persons in 2018, 95% were eventually located, up from 89% in 2013.